The Calm after The Storm
by akito kyo
Summary: The cloudy grey sky can sometimes indicate an inevitable storm, but no matter how dark the sky becomes there is comfort in knowing that The Calm never fails to follow close behind. Horror/Hurt/Comfort/Romance
1. The Storm

Hey everyone so originally I had this story as a chapter 2 to The Beginning.

The 2nd chapter of this called The calm was originally supposed to be the chapter 2 of The Beginning however I didnt feel that it flowed with the story and hence I re-wrote The Beginning as The Storm so that it could be coupled with The calm.

Anyways to make a long story short I think I am going to go back to my original thought which leaves these to stories as their own pieces instead as re-writes I suppose but you will notice some similarities with The Beginning and The storm which by now I am too tired to change so I know it sucks but hope you like it!

Bleach: Not Mine

This Story: Mine

* * *

"Hime, do you remember when you told me about the confession you made right before you left for Hueco Mundo?" Ichigo sadly smiled down at the slumbering woman in his arms, gently tracing her delicate cheekbones with his calloused finger. "…I never understood what it was about me Hime… You, Kurosaki Orihime are the most beautiful and selfless creature I've ever encountered…So, I never understood why it was me you loved so much….My confession, Hime, do you want to hear it?" Ichigo looked up to the stars and spoke "I was afraid one day you would leave me…that you would wake up one day and realize that you could do so much better...that you deserved so much better… Not waking up to your radiant smile, your sweet voice…losing your love…this frightened me…." Moments passed as Ichigo stared up at the stars and crescent moon hanging above them. Ichigo didn't want them to come but he knew they would. The salt water dwelling in his eyes would come because he was angry, would shed because he was sad, would never run dry because he regretted.

Orihime loved the rain and here it was sliding down his cheeks to gently caress her face. Now they were both crying. Ichigo couldn't do anything except merge his warm body to her chilled, lifeless body. Her sprit already ascended to the heavens, leaving an eternal sleeping beauty in his arms and an unforgotten promise un-kept.

To protect her!

…

…

...

"Otosan, why are you crying?"

"O..to…san?" Ichigo repeated stunned. His clouded eyes wondered up to the little girl standing several feet in front of him. There matching hazels locked. He wanted to say she was a little replica of Orihime but her hair was a mixture closer to his own and that scowl…that was his…

"Otosan, why are you crying?"

…

…

…

"Otosan is crying because were dead."

Ichigo's eyes snapped towards the beautiful figure that suddenly appeared.

"O…ri….hime…?" Ichigo tore his eyes away from the woman he loved to his bare arms.

His bare arms?

Ichigo's eyes mirrored the confusion in his voice. "Hime your alive?!"

"You promised to protect me Ichigo."

"I know I-"

"Failed" she stated coolly.

"I tried to protect you! Hime you are my life and I would do anything to make sure that your safe…I would give my life for you Hime."

"Then why are you alive. Why are we dead? Otosan?" said the little girl.

"You didn't try hard enough ichigo."

"Otosan…look at the sword they stuck in okasan…did you really try to protect okasan?"

Orihime looked down at the little girl an eerie smile found its way on her face, "Your otosan pierced me with this sword. "

"O…ri…hime? Ichigo eyes were transfixed on her darkening figure. "I couldn't have? I wouldn't have? I didn't Orihime! I didn't do it!"

Orihime looked Ichigo straight in the eyes, "Ichigo is this sword not yours?

Ichigo's eyes widened as his sword found its way into her stomach.

"You killed me"

Ichigo couldn't tear his eyes away from her he wanted to run to her to comfort her to explain that he didn't do it but what he saw grounded him. Orihime's flesh was beginning to peel revealing the fleshy muscle tissue underneath; her once luscious hair now looked bristle as it fell in clumps next to her rotting meat. "You killed me Ichigo" her meatless mouth accused as maggots came spewing out with each word, though she need not say anything because her eyes…those eyes of hers…those white orbs of hers seemed to glow with hatred…accusation.

How she had gotten in front of him without him realizing it, Ichigo didn't know, but he could taste the bile rising in his throat from her stench. Her small cold hands rose and cupped his face.

The little girl…his daughter was gently stroking his face as she shook her head. "Okasan that's not true…"her fleshless fingers stroked his cheek. Maggots made use of her rotting arms and bone fingers as a bridge towards him, but Ichigo couldn't move. Her gentle but firm grip kept him rooted. " Okasan keeps saying that you killed her Otosan, but that's not true…that's not true at all Otosan…" Ichigos eyes began to water." You didn't kill Okasan…" the little girls strokes stopped as she moved her head towards her father their noses lightly touched and her eyes bore into his " You killed US!"


	2. The Calm

This is The Calm after The Storm.

Again this was originally supposed to be the second part to The Beginning (cuz I didn't like killing Hime) but because those two stories (to me) failed to mesh properly I wrote The Storm to be a first parter for this chapter The Calm.

Bleach: Not mine

This story: Mine

* * *

Ichigo didn't know where he was or what was going on; all he knew was that he needed oxygen.

As if on cue; air began filling his lungs and greedily he devoured it.

Wheezing heavily he dug his palms into his eyes struggling to make the gruesome images, of his wife and child's lifeless and deteriorating bodies, disappear.

'A dream?' he thought. 'No not a dream a nightmare!'

Ichigo couldn't fathom a life without Orihime…

'Orihime?!' His head snapped to the side where his beautiful wife slept.

…

'Where the hell is she?!'

Ichigo soared out of their bed, dread filling his heart.

The terror that was griping his lungs only tightened its hold.

Oh God, he couldn't breathe again!

Brown eyes flit around their room.

She wasn't there.

'Hime?'

Ichigo darted in and out of the rooms in the upper half of their house.

'Hime?'

He urgently descended the flight of steps and sprinted into their living room, his fear finally bubbling to the surface.

"HIME!" Ichigo bellowed.

The spark which had ignited his trepidation soon flamed into a wildfire of panic.

"Ichigo what's wrong." a startled heavenly voice inquired.

Ichigo spun around, his chocolate browns gazing into concerned hazels.

His eyes began to focus on the angel facing him.

Orihime was here?

In front of him?

…

ALIVE!

As the revelation hit him, instantly the wildfire was extinguished.

The forgotten glass in Orihime's hand promptly glided to their rug when Ichigo roughly but gently tugged her into his arms.

His hunger for her warmth…her scent…was insatiable.

"Ichigo…?"

"You weren't in bed when I woke up and…" The gruesome images of his nightmare cut off his voice.

A weary but warm smile crossed Orihime's lips as her slim hands reached behind his neck. "We were hungry."

Ichigo buried his head further into the crook of her supple neck; her luscious auburn mane entwined with his orange locks a muffled and barely audible Ichigo said "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

Dumbfounded Orihime leaned back, her elegant hands tenderly held his face; she gazed into coffee creamed orbs, as the last traces of panic were being filled with the love that he felt for her.

As Orihime continued to stare up at him, his ever beautiful scowl was replaced by a tender smile.

Ichigo closed his eyes and nuzzled his cheek in Orihime's loving palm. His voice was a touch higher than a whisper but her ears failed not to miss a single word of his amorous sentence. "I want more than five lifetimes, damit!" Ichigo opened his chocolate orbs his burning desire to be with Orihime flamed right in front of her hazels as he continued. "I want an eternity!" Before Orihime could respond Ichigo placed a chaste kiss in her palm and knelt in front of her, his arms wrapped around her waist affectionately and gently he rested his forehead against her rounded abdominal.

Orhime's slender fingers made their way to his orange locks and gingerly she combed through his unruly tresses.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her soothing voice reached his ears.

"…I couldn't protect you... Both of you and…"

"Sshhhh…" she whispered. Orihime could sense the angst creeping into his voice.

His labored breath began to dissipate as she continued stroking his hair and began humming.

Ichigo's breathing steadied as his ears drunk in the symphony of his beautiful wife's melodic hum harmonizing with his child's heartbeat.

Ichigo's private orchestra was brought to a halt when his eyes were kicked open.

Orihime's musical laughter filled the room as Ichigo scowled at her belly.

A small tug couldn't help elevate the corners of his mouth.

He kissed her stomach and rose.

She beamed up at him, mirth still swimming in her eyes.

Ichigo's amused eyes betrayed his sarcastic saturated statement. "I guess someone wants to eat."

Orihime couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips.

God, How he loved this woman!

"So what you making?"

Orihime's willowy fingertip thoughtfully tapped her lips while her graceful hand tenderly caressed her pregnant belly.

"I felt like a red bean paste and strawberry jam sandwich with a cheese and wasabi omelet...oh and a chocolate, kiwi and vanilla shake." "Want me to make you some?" Orihime chimed as she made her way towards the kitchen.

Ichigo smirked at Orihime's retreating figure.

As he trailed her into the kitchen a simple thought came to his head.

'He never thought such a combination could sound more heavenly.'

* * *

Hey glad you reached the end. There were parts were I wanted to add more and parts I just need to fix maybe I will later but for now this is what I got.

Did you like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know by pressing the review button!

Thanx!


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